?MoonShell?

Moonshell – A Dandy's World Fanfiction
A short story about Astro & Shelly

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Chapter 1 – Forgotten, But Not by Him

Shelly's POV

No one ever remembers me.

It's not their fault, I guess. I don't stand out like Vee or Sprout. I don't have bright colors or a loud voice. Even my plushies in the Gift Shop are covered in dust, untouched and forgotten.

Tonight, I sit alone near the fountain, tracing shapes in the dust with my finger. The mall is quiet, empty. Just like always.

Then, I hear footsteps.

Astro: "Aren't you cold?"

I look up. Astro. His glow makes the dark hallway seem less uncanny, like a tiny moon in an empty sky.

Shelly: "I don't feel cold. I'm just sitting."

Astro tilts his head slightly.

Astro: "You always sit alone."

Shelly: "Well... People forget I'm even here."

.. i expect him to agree, to change the subject, maybe even leave. But he doesn't.

Astro: "I don't."

I freeze. No one's ever said that before.

Astro sits beside me on the cold tile floor, looking up at the high glass ceiling. His glow flickers slightly.

Astro: "Do you want to stargaze..?"

I hesitate, then nod.

Astro's POV

Shelly hesitates, then nods.

For a long time, we just sit there. I wonder if she feels the same way I do—like we don't quite fit anywhere.

Astro: "Do you ever think about space?"

Shelly: "Sometimes. It's quiet there, isn't it?"

Astro: "Yeah. But not empty. There's always something, even in the dark."

Shelly runs her fingers along the edge of a small seashell in her hand.

Shelly: "I feel like if I disappeared, no one would notice."

I turn to her.

Astro: "I'd notice."

She blinks, gripping the shell tighter.

Shelly: "Why?"

Astro: "Because you're here. And that matters."

She doesn't say anything, but I see the way her shoulders relax just a little.

Maybe she won't believe me right away. Maybe no one else will. But that's okay.

Because I remember her. And I always will.

It's getting late..